I can call them whatever I want. Extraordinarily witty sarc aside, I can make a strong case for why I view atheism as a religion but this isn't the thread. If you want to have at it - open a thread in non-tennis and we can dance.

Atheism is not a religion because there is no 'worship' or 'devotion' inherent with atheists. People who believe there is no higher power certainly dont 'worship' anything, and there is no reason to be devoted to anything. That's the whole point of atheism! Religion doesn't matter. You can say 'an atheist is devoted' to preaching atheism.. But that has nothing to do with the definition of atheism. See attached definition of 'religion' which requires worship and/or devotion WITHIN the religion. If you want to say that Atheism is a religion, you need to be able to finish this sentence: 'Atheists worship and / or are devoted to....?' Nope. Put another way, 'Do you think there are people who DON'T want to have a religion at all because they don't believe in worship and devotion, don't believe it will make a difference to their lives... yes, they're called atheists'.

@Grininel
Orthodox Christians mark. Also when they pass near a church they make their cross. It's a sign of confessing their faith and be closer to god.

I've done that only in church before 'amen' followed by a yawn. Sure Orthodox should be different.
I think I saw a few making a cross even when they lost, so it doesn't suggest god's only on their side.
Hard to notice without any visible signs other than Catholic/Orthodox believers as we don't have the ones like Ozil in WTA.

Feb 25th, 2017 01:18 AM

Patrick345

Re: What are the religious inclinations of the top wta players?

Well given Wozniacki´s draws over the years that´s the God I´d be praying to, if I was a player.

It gets even more muddled as there are atheists (a religion IMO) who call themselves agnostic. But let's face it - nowadays f a lot of terms are used in inaccurate ways.

I guess you are referring to the fact that many atheists are very passionate about their lack of faith and actively "preach" it to others. This may be what prompted British dramatist Jonathan Miller to declare that he was reluctant to call himself an atheist because "it hardly seems worth having a name for something which scarcely enters my thoughts at all".

Still, Miller does regard himself as an atheist, and many if not most atheists are similarly disinterested in religion. But it's hard to see how even more outspoken forms of atheism can be regarded as a religion. Many people feel similarly passionate about certain things - e.g. a woman's right to choose, transgender bathroom rights - without people suggesting that their beliefs on those topics constitute a religious conviction.

The bottom line - the point that Miller is making - is that atheism is defined as a total absence of religious faith. Of course you are free to define it differently, but if you do so you are referring to something different from what most people understand as atheism

Feb 24th, 2017 10:36 PM

égalité

Re: What are the religious inclinations of the top wta players?

What would you like, a notarized letter from Giorgi herself? Judaism is as much an ethnic and cultural identity as a religious one. She is Jewish, at the very least in that sense.

Oh save the patronizing tone. I am well aware, as I AM a non-religious person of Jewish descent. There are multiple sources referring to Camila and her family as Jewish. In the 20 seconds it took you to be argumentative for no reason, you could've googled it.

Huh? First you call me on being patronizing. Which I was. But then you make the same non-argument again. Possibly. Are there sources referring to her practicing Judaism? And I wasn't being argumentative. Sure am now though.

I'm not sure that she practices Judaism. Surely you know that some people of Jewish descent are Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, etc

Oh save the patronizing tone. I am well aware, as I AM a non-religious person of Jewish descent. There are multiple sources referring to Camila and her family as Jewish. In the 20 seconds it took you to be argumentative for no reason, you could've googled it.

I'm not sure you can call atheists a religion when they don't believe in any deity whereas an agnostic just doesn't know if there is or isn't a greater power.

I can call them whatever I want. Extraordinarily witty sarc aside, I can make a strong case for why I view atheism as a religion but this isn't the thread. If you want to have at it - open a thread in non-tennis and we can dance.